Saturday, December 26, 2015

Goodness me. You know when you just love a product so much and have
nothing negative to say about it at all? Yeah, that’s what’s happening now. A
couple of months ago, I treated myself to a little Zoeva haul where I picked up
a new eyeshadow palette (amazing), a blush (also amazing) and now it’s time to
review the last item; my Cat Eye Pen by Zoeva. Oh. My. God. It’s just perfect
in absolutely every way you can imagine. Prepare for inane gushing about an
inanimate object that can never love me back!

Zoeva is really well known among bloggers and youtubers for their makeup
brushes, among which they do Vegan brushes, rose gold sets and individual
brushes which have been a huge hit. Personally, I own a Vegan set which I do
like, but not as much as I expected to. So, when I discovered that they had
also released a range of cosmetics, I wanted to give them a try. I’d seen a
handful of reviews from some of my favourite bloggers, and they seemed really
positive. So when I had a teeny weeny bit of student loan left at the end of
one month, I put in an order with Beauty Bay and spoilt myself a little bit. I
have to say, I’ve been blown away and am so in love with all of the products I
bought. So, for me, Zoeva’s cosmetics range is much better than their makeup
brushes (there, I said it!).

Onto the pen! It’s a cat eye liquid eyeliner pen, absolutely perfect for
creating sexy winged liner and cat flicks so you can unleash your inner Cleopatra!
For £5.95, you get a simple, understated, black eyeliner pen with Zoeva’s logo
on the side. Inside you’ll find the pointiest of all pointy pens, which are
completely ideal for getting those perfect thin-to-thick wings. The bristles of
the pen are soft too, so it’s almost like a paintbrush. For me, this brush is
probably suited better to a slightly more experienced eyeliner wearer, just
because the bristles can be harder to control when they’re softer. Once you’ve
got your technique down though, you can use this pen to create all kinds of
flicks and even graphic eyeliner designs. On top of all that, the pigmentation
of this pen is second to none; completely jet black and opaque, and doesn’t
fade or rub off into a sad looking grey halfway through your day.

Have you tried any of
Zoeva’s cosmetics products? Which was your favourite? Let me know in the
comments!

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

As much as I hate to be
negative, and as a firm believer in the phrase ‘if you don’t have anything nice
to say, don’t say anything at all!’, I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews on my
blog. But, in order to fulfil my duty as a beauty blogger, I wanted to share
with you a few products that I really don’t get along with. This doesn’t
necessarily mean they’re bad products; it’s just that they don’t seem to give
me the results I’m after and don’t suit my skin right!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

This is one of my most disappointing
products. When I think about the amount of time I spent wanting it, let alone
the money I splurged, it makes me want to cringe! Unfortunately for me, this
foundation is so unbelievably thick and gloopy and sticky on my skin. I also
found that, even though I was colour matched, the shade is very orange for me.
If you’re after full coverage, this is definitely one for you because it covers
absolutely everything in such a thick, flawless layer of makeup. For me, I
prefer to be able to put a thin sheen of foundation so you can still see my
freckles, so this MAC foundation really isn’t for me. I’ve found love with the
Studio Sculpt foundation by MAC, though, so hope is not lost!

MAX Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

This is a foundation I
started out absolutely adoring. I love the brush, and the formula seemed good
too. It was one of the first mascaras I ever bought when I fist started getting
into makeup and I really enjoyed using it. It was only when I started to
explore other mascaras from different brands that I realised that maybe the
False Lash Effect wasn’t the best for me personally. When I discovered Benefit
They’re Real and Make Up Store Multilash mascaras, I realised that the MAX
Factor one wasn’t really doing as well as I thought. The pigmentation isn’t
black enough for me, and it doesn’t lengthen as well as some of the others do.
If you’re after thickness and volume, then definitely give this a try!

NYC Eyeliner Pen

This is another one that
I loved until I found different versions! At less than £3, this is an eyeliner
pen you can pick up from any Superdrug or Boots, and it’s dead cheap and so
easy to replace. It was only when I branched out and got more into Soap &
Glory’s SuperCat (a present to myself last Christmas) and Zoeva’s Cat Eye Pen
that I realised the pigmentation, again, was lacking and leaving my eyeliner
flicks looking grey and rubbish after a couple of hours. On top of this, the
point of the pen was too thick to create really slick, sleek, sexy cat eye
flicks. This was a great pen to start out with; great for practising and
experimenting. However, the tip was too rigid once I became a little more
experienced, and I started to prefer the soft brush bristles of other pens for
more control.

MAX Factor Crème Puff Powder

I’m afraid I’m not going
to have many positive things about this one at all. I’m baffled that a powder
could get it so so wrong for my skin. I was on my way to a party when I nipped
in to Superdrug to grab this because I’d forgotten mine. It wasn’t expensive
and because it was MAX factor, I thought it’d be a fail safe. I turned out to
be wrong! This powder is perfectly matte, so I’ll give it that little thumbs
up, but the consistency is like strange cakey powder which settles in all your
little creases and lines, and has a really weird yellowy tinge to it. It’s
really unflattering on me. Aside from the matte-ness and being able to set my
foundation, this powder is a real let down and one I’ve never ever touched
since.

MAX Factor Colour Elixir Pen Stick

I’ve suddenly become
aware that this blog post looks like I’m very anti MAX factor! I’ve got a few
of their products I really really like, so please don’t think I’ve got some
kind of MAX factor hatred! This pen stick is last on the list of my total let
down products. I wanted a deep, rich red for a Christmas party last year, so I
grabbed this. Again, it wasn’t too expensive, and I loved the glistening of it
on my hand in the shop. When I got it home and tried it on, however, I hated
it! It was far too warm of a red for my skin, and I came to realise that
sparkly, shimmery lip colours simply aren’t my bag. I’m much more of a matte
girl, these days, meaning I don’t ever pick this lip pen stick up. Like ever.

What are your least favourite makeup products? Let me
know in the comments!

Friday, December 18, 2015

This is such a well
overdue blog post I actually can’t remember when I even bought this! This is my
first Makeup Revolution product, and one I’ve not actually used as many times
as I thought. The brand is so so so famous in the bloggersphere, and is well loved
by many of my favourite bloggers and youtubers. They’re probably most famous
because they make really convincing dupes for higher end, more expensive makeup
products. I’ve been eyeing up the Naked Flushed palettes for a little while
now, which are significantly more expensive than their cheeky £3.50 Makeup
Revolution versions. They have been hailed all over the internet as almost
perfect dupes, and while the quality and longevity might not be as amazing as
its more pricey older sister over at Urban Decay, they have certainly been
giving the big brand a run for its money!

I chose my contour kit in
‘fair’. Being pale and vampirey, it can be pretty challenging to find contour
shades in colours that don’t look like great big mud streaks down your cheeks. Luckily,
Makeup Store found a little gap in the market there, and I ended up with a
contour kit which seems to really match my skintone! Though, as I mentioned
before, I don’t wear this all the time (only every now and again when I’ve left
my absolute holy grails at the boyfriend’s!). The palette features a
contour/bronzer, blush shade and a highlighter.

The countour/bronzer
shade is natural and warm, and even though I generally prefer a cooler, ashier
contour shade, this seems to match my skin really well. It also looks fab for
summer makeup because it’s slightly warmer and bronze. The blush is a shimmery,
warm pink. With its coral undertones and glowy finish, again, it ended up being
much more of a summer blush. I have probably worn the blush most out of all the
shades that are featured in this palette. The highlight shade is a slightly
peachy, vibrant cream with subtle shimmer that leaves your skin radiant. I love
this as a highlight, and even though I’ve got higher end options, I do enjoy
using this one when I want to look really defined and glistening; especially on
nights out.

Unfortunately, I can’t
really compare this palette to Urban Decay’s offering, but there are plenty of
reviews online that can. I don’t own the Naked Flushed palette, but to be
honest, I don’t really feel that I need to now I own this Makeup Revolution
version. It’s much more cost effective and, in my opinion, a great product. I
don’t necessarily feel like I need to spend significantly more for a brand
name, but that’s just me! If you’re wondering whether to fork out for the more
expensive option, then this might be a great one to try beforehand.

What is your favourite Makeup Revolution product? Do
you think they’re good dupes? Let me know in the comments!

Monday, December 14, 2015

Mmmm, a new mascara!
Mascaras aren’t actually something I treat myself to every five minutes. I’m
much more of a face product girl! Having said that, mascara is the one thing I
don’t like to leave the house without, and I completely believe that the right one
can quickly become your best friend and your life saver! This little baby by
Make Up Store was part of my huge Make Up Store haul from late last year, and I
can’t quite believe it’s taken me so long to get this review sorted. I
absolutely adore this mascara; it is probably my every-day choice and I just
love its simplicity. I got mine from the Beauty Bay website for £13, and since
first opening it, have barely been without it. Make Up Store describes it as “a best-selling
treatment mascara which gives intense volume and length to the lashes.” I’m actually really very lucky with
my eyelashes because they’re long and thick and they don’t take too much effort
to make all voluminous and elongated. However, I’ve really fallen in love with
Make Up Store’s offering.

Let’s start with the
packaging; a sleek and simplistic black tube with Make Up Store’s name in
slightly shiny text all over. It’s practical, fits nicely in my makeup back and
is actually instantly recognisable despite its ‘plain-ness’. The brush itself
is exactly what I go for in a mascara brush (I’m not exactly sure which shapes
do what but there you go!), straight, with thin, pointy bristles. I find that
the brush applies a perfect amount of product to your lashes. With a little
wiggle at the base, it coats them evenly and thoroughly, and lengthens them
noticeably. I’ve still never accidentally poked myself in the eyeball or got a
dreaded black mascara splodge on my fresh eye shadow with this one either! But
lets not tempt fate!

My lashes are definitely
thicker, longer, and true true black with this mascara. I dislike those
mascaras (usually drugstore ones (sorry!)) that look almost grey and faded.
However, the pigmentation of this mascara is second to none. It’s lasted really
well, and for only £13 I’m not even too terrified of running out because I know
it’s affordable enough to pick up another one. I’m absolutely so in love with
this mascara, and I have nothing negative to say about it, other than perhaps
it’s a little bit of a pain that you will probably have to order it online unless
you live close to the only Make Up Store shop in England, which is in London!

What is your favourite mascara? Have
you ever tried any Make Up Store products? Let me know in the comments!